Find the Right Therapist

When faced with a personal conflict, relationship or family troubles, or a mental health condition such as depression, stress, or anxiety, many people turn to a therapist for help. A therapist is a person who has received training to help treat mental or physical health problems. In the context of psychology, a therapist is a person who is trained and licensed to practice psychotherapy.

Finding the right therapist can often be a lengthy and challenging process, and some people may not know where to begin. Determining what kind of therapist is best suited to treat a particular issue may not be the easiest task, and a therapist's ethics or credentials are also often a topic of consideration. It may also be impractical, impossible, or even dangerous for some individuals to spend any length of time on the telephone, contacting potential therapists and describing the issues they would like to explore in therapy.

GoodTherapy.org offers a directory to help you in your search for a therapist. Using the directory, you can search by therapist location, specialization, gender, and age group treated. If you search by location, your results will include the therapists near you and will display their credentials, location, and the issues they treat. Some types of therapists that may list in our directory include:

Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs): Licensing requirements vary by state, but LCSWs hold graduate degrees and typically have at least two years of clinical social work experience. LCSWs may provide individual, family, or couples therapy. They often work in schools, public health and medical fields, or other community and group settings.

Licensed Addiction Counselors (LACs): LACs are not typically referred to as therapists, but they may practice alongside therapists. Typically, LACs have a bachelor's degree and will have a minimum of one year of training in addiction counseling.

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs): LMFTs, who focus primarily on marriage and family therapy, will have a master's degree and typically must complete an internship before practicing.

Because GoodTherapy.org has high membership standards, our directory is one of the safest places to find a therapist online. We require all therapists who list in our directory to have a graduate-level education and to agree to the elements of healthy therapy. Therapists who list with us pay a membership fee, which helps support our services. They must also have a professional license or reside in a jurisdiction in which it is legal to practice without a license or as an intern under supervision.

A therapist is often the first point of contact for a person seeking mental health care, and the primary role of the therapist is to help people process challenges in their lives. They often help individuals navigate conflict, resolve internal struggles, and address mental health conditions. When a therapist is not committed to healthy, ethical therapy, this can cause significant harm to a person in treatment. We recognize some therapists engage in unethical behavior, and so we strive to list in our directory only those therapists who promote a healthy and ethical therapeutic practice.

At GoodTherapy.org, you will also find a wide range of resources aimed at helping you in your search for a therapist. If you are in crisis or know someone who is, you can find relevant information and resources on our crisis help page (https://www.goodtherapy.org/in-crisis.html). This page also offers resources to those who have experienced or are experiencing sexual assault and abuse or domestic violence.

If you wish to learn more about a particular mental health condition or issue treated in therapy, we have pages that provide detailed information on these topics. We also have a section devoted to types of therapy, where you can learn more about particular therapeutic techniques that may be of interest to you.